Mid America Events & Expos

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Area baby boomers are remodeling their empty nests for the long term
Changing lifestyles and growing older factor into today’s home remodeling trends

Baby boomers now make up more than 50 percent of the clientele of the many Twin Cities remodeling companies. And remodeling professionals say the generation is decisive, more apt to pay for high-quality products, and focused on nesting – in a new way. In fact, the remodelers say, boomers could very well reshape the home remodeling and building industry.

Many of those products and trends will be highlighted at the upcoming Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo™, to be held November 4-5, 2006 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The event, produced in partnership with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), will focus strictly on remodeling, home products and interior design.

“More and more people in the industry are really grasping the sheer numbers of baby boomers and understanding the critical mass these people represent,” said Bjorn Freudenthal, general manager of College City Remodeling and president-elect of the NARI, Minnesota Chapter. “The needs of this generation won’t simply create a trend, they’ll create a change in the way we all do business.”

Baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – represent nearly a quarter of the U.S. population. And 70 percent of them are homeowners. According to a study by the American Association of Retired Persons, more than 83 percent of Americans aged 45 and older want to stay in their current homes long after they retire.

Remodelers partner with the homeowners to create space that is attractive and functional, while providing guidance for features that will help the homeowners as they age. Those features often include:

Zero-clearance entryways
Raised electrical outlets
Grab bars
Wider hallways
Larger lever-type door handles
Rocker-style light switches
Shelving features, such as an application that allows the homeowner to pull contents of a cupboard to chest level

These features, Freudenthal believes, may soon be universally applied in home building because every homeowner will need be accessible, for the ease of mobility of visitors as well as for resale value.

Todd Polifka, CEO of Vision Remodeling, said his baby boomer clients have set aside money to purchase luxury “nesting” items, such as high-end, long-lasting kitchen appliances, master baths with spa features, and home theaters. “They want to stay put,” Polifka said. “This is a generation that is willing to pay for quality if the value is presented. They know what they want.”

For one baby boomer client, Polifka recently built new kitchen space, adding hardwood flooring, high-end appliances, a work station, a stone fireplace – all focused on creating a beautiful, comfortable space for gatherings of family and friends. Other baby boomer remodeling projects include designating rooms for specific purposes, such as for exercise, craft projects and a home office.

Susan Denk of White Crane Construction said 60 to 65 percent of her clients are baby boomers, many of whom come to her with a specific remodeling dream in mind. “They are getting things the way they want it – down to the species of wood for their hardwood floor,” Denk said. “They don’t have as a much of the on-the-go mentality. They want to enjoy their space. They want to entertain and really enjoy hosting.”

The Mid-America Remodeling and Design Expo™ will truly be a place where experts and consumers can find each other. For additional information about this expo, visit www.101expos.com or call 612-798-7256. To find a qualified NARI professional, visit www.narimn.org or call 612-332-NARI.

Sponsors for this year’s Mid-America Remodeling and Design Expo include AM 1500, Channels 5 and 45, Midwest Home, and Floors Galore & More.

Media Note: For additional information, or to schedule an interview with a Mid-America Events & Expos spokesperson or a NARI spokesperson, contact Media Relations, Inc. at 612-798-7220.

About NARI
NARI of Minnesota is a Chapter of The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), the only trade association dedicated solely to the remodeling industry. With more than 7,000 member companies nationwide, the Association is “The Voice of the Remodeling Industry”TM. For membership and chapter information, or for more on the COTY Awards, visit the NARI MN website at www.narimn.org. or contact the headquarters at 612-332-NARI.

The remodeling market, a $230 billion industry in the U.S. in 2003, is expected to continue to experience significant growth. It is estimated that more than a million homes per year undergo major renovation or remodeling.

NARI is a professional association whose members voluntarily subscribe to a strict code of ethics. Consumers may wish to search www.narimn.org to find a qualified professional who is a member of NARI or contact the headquarters at 612-332-NARI for a copy of the consumer directory, “Remodeling Today.”